Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-06-28

W. M. Gait q Cesss HAY WAreA0Uee,
with iso Valuable Contents RurneA.

ncESDlARIsN On cI8ARETT1 sMoKU0?-fn LOSSES
WILL FOOT Up ABuUr SIS, o0o-AxorHKR FIRE
xARLr THu MORNING..
This morning &C 1887 O'Clock Mr. Thomas cady, q
clerk in Nattans drug store, corner OF Cd and d
streets northwest, see.ag hames and smoke arising
rom W. N. Gait Co. storehouse for -four, feed
and hay, No ITO D street, turned In an alarm from
box No. IL, at the corner, and the nremen quickly
responded. When they arrived the flames had
burst out OF the front door Of the playhouse, o
two-story brick building, and dense clouds OF
smoke were binding the people The heat was 50
intense on the street side that the leaves OF the
trees on the north side OF the street were crisped
and one OF the horses OF NO engine was 60 over
come that 1t had to be cut from the apparatus
Chief Paris on his way 70 the IRE stopped at the
corner, and at once turned In general alarm, and
soon all the apparatus were In service, and the
Command Of Maj. Moore and Lieut.. Kelly, did good
service IN preserving order in the immense crowd
assembled at the nre. The police ambulance was
and MI. Harry Hutton, the driver, with Mr.. John
Lane and other citizens, at once set about saving
By axS sasy nv
packed ana removed the siiveware, and even Ee-
%ost Of TIN the piano 70 place OF safety
Capitol, was saved. Not 90, however, With that OF
the ssusee Sa S
although the dwelling was not burned, most OF his
effects were destroyed by oreakage. Fne names
valuable contents Of the playhouse and one horse.
,nan narry Inoamas Of nre COMPANY No while
chnneTg ana S,s WAS k9xed on BY 1sn
badly burned. He was taken In the frss precinct
wagon to Providence Hospital
4 cIGARETT1-sXoKna BOZ Tm PROBABLE CAUSE OF
TIE FIRE.
The general alarm brought out all the IRE COM
panies including the one from West Washington,
and all the police reserve. The police, like the
iremen. responded very promptly, and did excel
lent work. Ropes were stretched by them, and
Inc crowd Was kept from interfering with the fire.
Detectives Ran, Mahon, and Horne were In the
burning buildings soon after the alarm was
met who was likely to know anything about the
nre including all those employed about the eStab-
n aSa nj. Iney learned that number OF white
few minutes before the IRE started,
playing on the bales OF hay. The Officers saw
they stated that OF the boys who is about six.
teen years OF age, lighted cigarette while in the
hay.house One OF Inem stated that when the boy
Ihe front door, and he then threw the lighted
match from that point into the street; that while
1ney were PLAYING the boy smoked the cigarette
anu tumpled over the bales OF hay. One little boy
sald ne lett the others playing the bales OF hay
including the one Who was smoking. lie went
home, and was eating lis breakfast. about fifteen
minutes arterward, when the tire broke out. The
officers will investigate the case further and some
arrests Will likely follow.
Mr.. VIM. Gait states that the fire was undoubt-
edIy the work or an 1ncendiary-this beng the
second time 1t has been set fire, and the third
time nre has occurred there.
THE LAST MAN IN THE PLAYHOUSE BEFORE THE FIRE.
Stephen Anderson, the chier delivery clerk, said
to STAR reporter that he had no doubt that he
was the last man in the playhouse before the fire
was discovered. lie left the playhouse about
twenty minutes before the fire was discovered, and
at mat time MT. Anderson saw no evidences OF any
nre There Was no fire there at that time, /" he
said positively, and added: ''The boys who are
about D street have been In the habit OF entering
and playing about the hay house and stable: they
had been driven out a number of times almost
every day, but they persist In entering ana it
took great deal OF time and trouble 10 keep them
another" He could not say that any boys were
In the building to-day. he Is inclined TO think
that the IRE might have been started by the boys,
This afternoon, after the Ere was fully under
control, Mr.. Calf was asked by STAR reporter
what the loss to the building and stock would be,
but he was unable to give any estimate. Chief
Paris also declined to give any estimate, but Mr.
damage would amount to from $4,000 10 S25 600
which was probably covered by Insurance There
was enough INSURANCE. on the building II it COW
Fire Marshal Drew said that the damage to the
building would amount to from $1,000 10 1000,
put put ne was unable TO give any estimate OF the
Damage TO the stock.
the chief delivery clerk. Mr.. Anderson, stated
this afternoon that there were between six and
seven hundred tons OF hay and about nfteen hum
dred barrels OF flour totally destroyed "A large
quantity OF hour was also badly damaged.
sS Ua ths rs Owned o Sy I Gait and
No. LIZ street, which Is occupied by MI. Hig-
gins, was slightly damaged by water, and some Of
from the house against the orders or Chlef Parris
The adjoining house, which is occupied by Mr.
samuel wallace, Was not damaged even by water.
THE INSURANCE..
A. 8. Pratt Sons Insurance agents, have SIP 600
on the stock, distributed between the North
America, OF Philadelphia; Home, OF New York:
queen, or England, and National OF New York, and
all the local companies have rtskS on the build.
ings, the Firemen's for 1,50O ana Columbia for
$1,000.
WHY AN ALARM WAS TURNED m FROM THE GOVERN
MRNT PRINTING OFFICE
Twelve minutes after the alarm was sounded
from Box IL the box was pulled at the Govern
ment Printing ONCE. A telephone message was
received at Police Headquarters few minutes
afterward notifying the Officers that the watch
having seen the smoke.
NOTES.
The excitement in the great crowd present was
increased when, shortly after the engines got to
work, an alarm was sounded for box g. Govern.
ment Printing Ofice, and an engine was about to
proceed to it, when by telephone a message was
received that that alarm was . false one.
During the morning one OF the interior walls OF
the hay house fell with q crash, and some OF the
nremen had narrow escape and q rumor was
circulated that one OF them was buried in the
debris, causing some excitement, but subsequently
they were ali accounted LOT.
Wilkins, q lab0rer employed In the mill, who had
just returned from the B. and o. depot.
A silver watch found In the ruins WAS handed to
Mr.. Calf by Chief Paris.
The "hokey pokey" and lemonade vendors made
use OF the occasion to sell their wares, and it was
not long after the fire broke out before "west end
hotels" In baskets and on wheels were open for
the refreshment OF the crowd.
Fire Early This Morning.
This morning at q few minutes past O'Clock
fire was discovered In the twostory frame build
ing. 407 LIST street northwest, occupied by Henry
Domaine and owned BY MIS- Mary Russell, and
very soon the frame back buildings Of the adjoin-
ing houses, No. 405, occupied by j. S. Keman, and
No. 4O7k by w. D. CrOssman, were in flames The
threatening much OF the adjoining property,
general alarm was sounded, bringing out the en-
tire department.. 1t required hard work to save
the front buildings, also frame structures and 1t
was impossible to save the stock In the wood and
coal yard OF Mr.. j. s. Kellman, the corner which
caught fire also.
Four Fire Alarms i'm One Day.
AN LEGENDARY FIFE THIS AFTERNOON.
This afternoon shortly after O'Clock fourth
alarm OF ire for the day was turned in from box
l6 at the Baltimore and Potomac Depot. for Are In
the house OF Mr.. Williams, colored, In Marble
alley. The IRE occurred In the second story where
some clothing was stored. Mrs. Williams thinks
IL the work Of fHCondtaFy.